State Officials, Pharmacies, Doctors Named in Opioid Suit

April 17, 2017 | Opioid Crisis

“The doctor and his staff took advantage of their patients to continue to fund his lavish lifestyle, at the expense of the health of patients such as Mr. Floyd,” said his attorney Joseph L. Ciaccio, of the law firm Napoli Shkolnik.

Alvin Floyd said that doctors at the Brooklyn Clinic Parkville Medical Health were prescribing him as many as 120 30mg pills a day to manage pain related to a hip replacement. At one point Floyd was taking up to six pills a day, including oxycodone, oxymorphone, morphine, muscle relaxants and other opioids.

All the opioids left Floyd feeling like he was in a “fog” and lead to high blood pressure and weight gain. It also left him unable to pursue his dreams of recording music and being able to keep his clothing line business.

After Parkville was raided by law enforcement officials for allegedly running a pill mill, Floyd began to go through medication withdrawal. He says he became depressed, was unable to sleep and suffered from painful stomach cramps.

Floyd has filed a lawsuit related to the alleged narcotics scheme. It is reported that it was orchestrated, in part, by former state Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny (D-Brooklyn). The suit also names Floyd’s doctor, the clinic and pharmaceutical companies such as Duane Reade, where his prescriptions were filled. The suit states that the companies and pharmacy ignored obvious warning signs that the clinic was running a pill mill.

“They acted with complete disregard for human dignity,” said Paul Napoli, another attorney for Floyd.

Image Source: James Messerschmidt

This is a very tragic situation that has occurred, and this story is just one of thousands, potentially millions stemming from the opioid epidemic. Our attorneys have become dedicated to helping individuals, towns, cities, and municipalities seek damages. The pharmaceutical companies and doctors have allegedly been playing “fast and loose” with the health of their patients in order to reap profits. This comes at the cost of countless lives and potentially millions of dollars spend fighting this epidemic.

In the past several months, many towns, counties, and other municipalities have come forward to join the fight with Napoli Shkolnik against the Opioid Epidemic. This calamity has caused the loss of many lives and millions of dollars in police training, NARCAN (Naloxone) purchases to combat overdosing, and many other expenses.

When an opioid overdose leads to loss of life, it can be easy to put the blame on the victim themselves, calling them an addict and saying that they should have known better. However, addiction is much more complex than that, and opioids are legal drugs that people are often given from the doctors and healthcare professionals whom they trust. Doctors and pharmacists should exercise discretion in prescribing these drugs, and commit to treating patients with a high duty of care. These drugs should not be given out lightly, and if addiction is suspected, a prescription should never be refilled.

LEARN MORE about the Opioid Epidemic. These painkillers are very addictive and can have fatal side effects.

HBO has made their opioid documentary (“Warning: This Drug May Kill You“) available for free.Warning: Some of the images contain graphic content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Accordingly, view discretion is advised.

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